Amusement game



March 1940- H. E. WILLIAMS ET AL 5 5 AMUSEMENT GAME Filed April 21, 1938. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 5, 1940..

H. E. WILLIAMS ET AL AMUSEMENT GAME Filed April 21; 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllflvfldzilff Q L A 422 njzfiaram 0 M Patented Mar. 5, 1940 T E. S

ATENT OFFHIE AMUSEMENT GAME Chicago, 111.

Application April 21, 1938, Serial No. 203,259

20 Claims.

This invention relates to an amusement game using balls, for example, as playing pieces.

More particularly the improved game comprises a suitable cabinet containing a small sight opening, behind which is positioned a motor driven, pocketed wheel, which acts to pick up one or more, and preferably three, balls from a storage chamber to bring them into view behind the sight opening when the wheel stops its rotation to position a pocket containing three of the balls adjacent the said sight opening. The halls will be variously colored and the purpose of the game is to bring into view, in a chance manner, three like colored balls, for the edification and amusement of the player.

The main object of the invention is to provide an improved and novel amusement game.

Another object is to provide a novel pocketed Wheel structure for agitating and mixing colored balls and to pick up one or more, and preferably three of them, to present them for display adjacent a sight opening.

Still another object is to provide an improved motor drive mechanism for the wheel.

It is also an object to provide a novel starting and stopping control means for the motor driven wheel.

Also it is an important object of the invention to provide a novel structure whereby the wheel at a given point in its rotation discharges the balls from the pockets, said structure to include a novel ball return means for causing return of the discharged balls to the mixing and storage chamber.

Finally, it is an object to provide a game structure of the type specified which is simple in operation and foolproof in construction.

Other objects, no doubt, will become apparent to those skilled in this art, as the disclosure is more fully made.

These objects are herein achieved by providing a cabinet, housing a storage chamber for colored balls, and containing a motor driven, pocketed wheel, positioned to pick up in a chance manner, three balls in each pocket, as the wheel rotates through the chamber. The wheel is automatically controlled to make one complete revolution and then come to a stop with a pocket, containing three balls, in position adjacent a display window in the cabinet, so that the player can see the contents of the displayed pocket. At a certain point in the next turn of the wheel the balls are discharged from the pockets and routed for return by gravity to the mixing and storage chamber.

An illustrative and practicable example of the invention is shown in the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the game cabinet;

Figure 2 is a side or end elevational view of the 5; game cabinet;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the game cabinet;

Figure 4 is a vertical, cross sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the starting switch control, 10 taken on the line l@ of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is an enlarged, detail, rear view of the ball return structure, taken and looking from the line 5--5 of Figure 6;

Figure 6 is an enlarged, vertical, cross sectional view through the game, taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 3, and looking in the indicated direction;

Figure 7 is a vertical, cross sectional View through the game, taken along the line 7-4 of Figure 6, looking in the indicated direction; and,

Figure 8 is an elevational, detail, View of a commutator ring structure for controlling the motor, said View being taken along the line 8-8 of Figure '7, looking in the direction indicated. This view also includes an illustrative wiring diagram for the electric motor.

As shown in the drawings, the game is housed in a cabinet 10, of narrow, generally rectangular construction, having a front sloped portion H provided with a narrow, glass covered sight opening or window I2. The front wall of the cabinet carries a push button plunger 13, normally urged outwardly by a coil spring 14, encircling the plunger, as shown. This plunger projects slidably through the wall into the housing or casing, and at its inner end rigidly carries a pendant block it disposed between a double, spring blade, contact switch structure l6, suitably carried by a support H (see Figure 4) on the front wall of the housing Ill,

Adjacent one side wall of the housing It is suitably supported an electric motor l8, said motor also being carried by a middle upright partition 45 i9, as shown. In the compartment thus provided is a battery 20 connected by a wire 2! to the motor l8. A common wire 22 leads from the battery to the double switch IS. The motor turns a set of spinner reduction gearing 23, the final gear of which is fast on and drives a transverse shaft 24 journaled in a wall In and the partition I9, as shown. Another partition 25 is provided, and the space between the partitions l9 and 25 is 0c:

cupied by a large wheel 26 carried on a hub 2'! made fast to the shaft 2 to turn therewith.

The periphery of the wheel 26 comprises a rim 28 carrying in even, angularly spaced, relationship, a series of tangentially disposed fins or vanes 29 which between them serve to form transverse pockets 3! so positioned that they will best be presented behind the window I 2. An arcuate shield or trough 3! is positioned below the wheel, as shown, said shield having a forwardly extending straight portion 32 fastened at 33 to the front wall as seen in Figure 6. Thus, the space 34 above the portion 32, where the latter meets the sloped housing portion N, forms a mixing and storage chamber 35 for a suitable number of balls 36 accumulated therein. These balls preferably will be colored and in the present example only three colors of balls will be used. Other balls are shown in the upper arc pockets of the wheel. The shield or trough 3i at its rear end terminates adjacent a bracket 37 secured to the rear wall of the housing Ill, as shown in Figure 6. An auxiliary shield 38 is carried by the top of the housing, the rear, lower end of the said shield terminating short of the proximate end of the shield 31 to provide a ball discharge opening 39 so that as the wheel turns clockwise the balls leave the pockets 3!! and fall by gravity through the opening 39 and into a return trough ii] carried on the outer side of the partition 25. This return trough is downwardly sloped so that the balls are returned by gravity to the chamber 35 in an obvious manner. A hole M is formed in the wall 25 to allow transverse transfer of the balls into the trough or runway ill; and another hole 42 is formed in the front end of the same wall 25 to permit lateral transfer of the balls 36 back into the chamber 35. The ball return and circulating trough or runway if is thus positioned on the outside of the wall 25.

At the free end of the shaft 24 is made fast a hub &3 which in turn rigidly carries a disk 44 of insulation material. See Figures 7 and 8. This disk carries a concentric conductor ring 45 which has a gap therein, and in the gap is a separate arcuate conductor piece 46. A lead 41 runs from the ring 45 to one side of the double switch I6 and from the piece 46 there is a lead 418 to the other side of the switch structure. The switch 16 may be separated into part A and part B, as indicated in Figure 4. The wall 25 is made of wood and carries a conductor wiper finger 49 from which a wire 50 leads back to the motor 58. This completes the detail description of the parts and the mode of operation of the game will next be explained.

In the normal position indicated in Figure 8 and in the full lines in Figure 4, the spring M holds the plunger i3 out so that the A part of switch It is closed by the block I 5, and the B part is open. Consequently one side of the circuit goes to the piece 46 through switch IBA from battery 28 and wire 22. The other side goes through wire 2i, motor [8, wire 50 to finger 49 and the ring 45. But since the ring 45 and piece 46 are gapped apart no current can flow and the motor [8 is dead.

When the player pushes in the plunger l3 the switch part A opens and the switch part B closes, so that switch 16 now completes a circuit through lead d8 with piece 46 and through 25, 50 and finger 49 with the piece 46. Consequently, the motor 18 runs and through gearing 23 turns the shaft 24 and wheel 26 clockwise as viewed in Figure 6. The disk 4-3, of course, turns with the Wheel and it will be understood that the leads ll and 4 8 respectively have wiping contact with the conductor ring 65 and piece t8. As the ring 45 now turns, both leads 41 and 48 wipe therealong until lead 48 jumps the gap and once more rests on the piece 46. The plunger i3 being instantly released by the player makes the spring i i operative to open switch 183 and close switch WA. The motor i8 and the gears 23, however, cause the wheel 26 and disk M with it to turn until the piece 36 comes to rest on the finger 49 with the wheel correspondingly stopped. It follows that the wheel makes only one turn and the same pocket 36 always comes to rest in position behind the window i2. The other pockets thus serve merely to pick and circulate the balls to keep them mixed and stirred up in a haphazard or chance manner. The plunger it will preferably be coin released and the object of the game is to present three balls of like color behind the display opening Hl, in a pocket, when the wheel is indexed one turn and comes to rest. The pockets 3% are of a size so that they will always pick up three balls and the wheel always is turned in the same direction.

It can now be seen that an improved amusement game has been provided which achieves all of the desirable objects heretofore recited.

It is the intention to cover herein all changes and modifications of the example disclosed,

which do not in material respects constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a game comprising a cabil net formed with a display opening, a chamber in the cabinet containing balls, a wheel carried on a horizontal axis for rotation between spaced vercal planes within the cabinet, said wheel having its periphery movable immediately behind .34

cal planes within the cabinet, said wheel having a pocket in its periphery to pick up balls from the chamber and present them to view behind said opening, means to turn the wheel, and means to bring said wheel to a position of rest with the pocket behind said opening and holding the balls therein between said planes.

3. In combination, a game having a cabinet formed with a sight opening, a ball containing chamber in the cabinet, a wheel carried on a horizontal axis in the cabinet, pockets formed on the periphery of the wheel, said pockets opening outwardly between the sides of the wheel, means to turn the wheel, whereby its pockets pick up balls from the chamber, and means to stop the wheel with a ball containing pocket positioned behind said sight opening and holding the balls therein in display position behind said sight openmg.

4. In combination, a game having a cabinet formed with a sight opening, a ball containing chamber in the cabinet, 2. wheel carried on a horizontal axis in the cabinet, outwardly opening pockets formed on the periphery of the wheel, side members between which the wheel turns, an electric motor including gearing to turn the wheel whereby its pockets pick up balls from the chamber, manual means to start the motor, and means for automatically stopping the motor and wheel with a ball containing pocket positioned behind said sight opening to display the balls therein.

5. In combination, a game comprising a cabinet, a ball containing chamber in the cabinet, 9. wheel rotatably carried in the cabinet, said wheel on its periphery carrying spaced tangentially disposed vanes forming pockets topick up balls from the chamber when the wheel is rotated.

6. In combination, a game comprising a cabinet, a ball containing chamber in the cabinet, :1 wheel rotatably carried in the cabinet, said wheel on its periphery carrying spaced tangentially disposed vanes forming pockets to pick up balls from the chamber when the wheel is rotated, means whereby balls are discharged from the pockets at a certain angular position of the pockets, and means for returning the discharged balls to the chamber.

7. In combination, a game comprising a cabinet, a ball containing chamber therein, a wheel mounted for rotation in the cabinet and having pockets formed continuously in spaced relation around its periphery, said wheel picking up balls from the chamber, means whereby balls are discharged from the wheel at a point remote from the chamber, means to stop the wheel and display balls in a pocket positioned between the chamber and point of discharge, and means to receive such discharged balls and return them by gravity into the chamber.

8. In combination, a game comprising a cabinet having a window, and a ball containing chamber, a wheel mounted for rotation on a horizontal axis in the cabinet and having its entire periphery formed with pockets in a manner to cause the pockets to pick up balls from the chamher, a motor including gearing to drive the wheel, means to bring the wheel to a position of rest with a pocket behind the window, means whereby the wheel as it turns discharges balls from its pockets, and means to return the discharged balls to the chamber.

9. In combination, a game comprising a cabinet having a window, and a ball containing chamber, a pocketed wheel mounted for rotation in the cabinet in a manner to cause its pockets to pick up balls from the chamber, an electric motor including gearing to drive the wheel, a circuit for the motor including circuit breaker means to cause the wheel to make but a single revolution and bring the wheel to rest with a pocket containing a ball behind the window, means whereby the wheel as it turns discharges balls from its pockets, and means to return the discharged balls to the chamber.

10. In combination, a game comprising a cabinot having a window, a ball containing cham her in the cabinet, a wheel rotatable on a horizontal axis in the cabinet, pockets on the wheel periphery which open outwardly in a radial direction to pick up balls, said wheel located between two wails oi the cabinet and serving to mix the balls in the chamber and also to circulate the balls between the walls to a point of discharge, said point of discharge also being between the walls, means to return discharged balls to the chamber, and means to turn the wheel and stop it to bring a ball containing pocket behind the Window.

11. In combination, a game comprising a cabinet formed with a window, a ball containing chamber in the cabinet, and rotary pocketed means for mixing the balls in the chamber and having portions movable immediately behind the window for directly presenting certain of the balls in a chance manner to a display position and holding said latter balls behind the window when the means is brought to rest.

12. In combination, a game comprising a cabinet iormed with a window, an arcuate shield in the cabinet, said shield having a portion formturnable in the chamber concentrically within the shield, means to turn the wheel and cause its pockets to pick up balls from the chamber,

and means to bring the wheel to a position of I rest with a ball containing pocket positioned behind the window.

13. In combination, a game comprising a nar row substantially rectangular cabinet having a sloped forward portion formed with a window, a ball containing chamber in the cabinet, and a rotary pocketed wheel adapted to pick up a ball from the chamber and having portions when the wheel is brought to a position of rest which lie immediately behind the Window to present the ball and hold it for display behind the window.

14. In combination, a game comprising a cabinet having two compartments, a motor located in one compartment, a pocketed ball circulating wheel in the other compartment driven by the motor, a ball containing chamber in the latter compartment, and a ball circulating means positioned outwardly of the wheel compartment and connected between a point of ball discharge of the wheel and the ball chamber.

15. A game comprising a cabinet carrying a wheel for rotation on a transverse axis, said wheel having a rim provided with spaced tangential vanes forming pockets, and partitions in the cabinet on opposite sides of the wheel vanes forming a ball circulating chamber.

16. In combination, a game comprising a cabinet including a pair of upright spaced walls, a wheel rotatable on a horizontal axis between the walls, a ball storage chamber formed to position balls at a location between the walls, said wheel having radially outwardly opening pockets formed in spaced relation around its periphery to pick up in each pocket a plurality of difierently colored balls to move same behind a display opening formed in the cabinet, and means to turn the wheel and bring same to rest with a pocket holding balls in display position viewable through the display opening.

17. In combination, a game comprising a cabinet including a pair of upright spaced walls, a wheel rotatable on a horizontal axis between the walls, a ball storage chamber formed to position balls at a location between the walls, said wheel having outwardly opening pockets formed in spaced relation around its periphery to pick up in each pocket a plurality of balls, the walls being proximately disposed on opposite ends respectively of the pockets to keep balls from rolling out of the pockets in a direction parallel to the axis of the wheel, and means to turn the wheel to move the pockets past a display opening formed in the cabinet, said wheel adapted to come to a position of rest with a pocket in position holding balls to view behind said display opening.

18. In combination, a game comprising a cabinet having two spaced partitions, a wheel turnable on a horizontal axis between the partitions, said wheel having a pocket on its periphery open 10 ing a ball containing chamber, a pocketed wheel i at its ends and in a radial outward direction with the partitions serving to close the ends of the pocket, a ball containing chamber in the cabinet through which the pocket moves to pick up a ball when the wheel is turned to move same to a position of rest and viewable behind a display opening formed in the cabinet.

19. A game comprising a cabinet carrying a wheel for rotation on a horizontal axis, said Wheel having a peripheral pocket formed thereon which opens in a substantially radially outward direction, a chamber formed in the cabinet and containing balls, said pocket being of an axial width to pick up at least three balls from the chamber and move same with the wheel, said cabinet having a display opening, means to bring the wheel to rest with the pocket positioned at said opening, means to turn the wheel from said position of rest to a point where the balls will fall from the pocket, and means to return such balls discharged from the pocket to said chamber.

20. A game comprising a cabinet formed with a ball containing chamber, a wheel in the cabinet turnable about a horizontal axis and having a pocket on its periphery open in a direction away from the wheel axis, said ball chamber being disposed at an elevation between the top and bottom of the wheel, means to turn the wheel so that its pocket will pass through the chamber and pick up a ball and carry it to a point above chamber, means to stop the wheel at said point to hold the ball in the pocket for display purposes, said wheel when subsequently turned again acting to move the pocket with its ball to a point at the opposite side of the chamber and causing discharge or" the ball from the pocket, by gravity, and. means to return said discharged ball to the chamber. 

